


Those Lovely Eyes

by Justaduck6432



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Animal Abuse, Complete, F/M, Kidnapping, gifted reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-25 17:08:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30092364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justaduck6432/pseuds/Justaduck6432
Summary: "Do I really have to wear these?" Y/N touched the glasses on her face. The small child still did not quite understand the weight of her terrible curse. Dr. Grace, a gentle elderly woman takes in Y/N after she is abandoned by her mother because of her horrible eyes. Once Dr. Grace has passed on, Y/N finds herself all alone until a strange man shows up at her door...((Gifted!ReaderxBrian Thomas/Hoodie))
Relationships: Brian Thomas | Hoody/Reader, Brian Thomas | Hoody/Timothy "Tim" Wright | Masky/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Children's laughter echoed over the playground on a cool spring morning. Inside a large maze of red and blue tubing, two little boys were chasing each other and laughing. They came to a dead end, where they spotted a little girl crying softly. The older of the two brothers approached. "Are you okay?" The little girl had her hands pressed to her eyes. She sniffled, taking deep heaving breaths, "m-my- my- eyes h-hurt!!" She dug her little nails into her skin, sobbing loudly. "Go get dad," the older brother said to his younger sibling. Then he gently grabbed her wrists. Now that he was closer he could see the blood smeared on her hands, caked onto her cheeks. "You have to stop rubbing them," the boy said quietly, "or you can make it worse." Nodding, the girl slowly moved her hands away. Still, she kept her eyes closed tight; tears and blood slipped down from her clenched eyelids. "Let me see," the boy said gently, "try to open them." Taking a few deep breaths, the little girl's eyelids began to part.

Screams erupted from the tubes, filling the playground. The laughter of other children stopped. Suddenly adults where yelling, scrambling to the entrances and exits of the maze. They were calling for their children in a blind panic. "Derek? Derek where are you?!" "This way dad!!" A little boy came running through the tube, dragging his father by the sleeve. The grown man had to crawl on all fours to get back that far. He sped up when he saw his son lying still on the ground. The little girl was still sat at the back of the tube, sobbing loudly. She slapped her hands onto her eyes as she heard the man approaching. 

Police arrived just minutes later. Sirens cut through the tense silence. The tube maze had to be cut open in order to extract the little girl. She was strapped onto a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance alongside little Derek and his family. The ride to the hospital was swift and silent. 

"Time of death," the doctor took a breath, "3:15 PM." He looked at the small boy laying on the operating table beside him and shook his head sorrowfully. "Mr. Clark, I am so sorry," he said to Derek's father. Terrance Clark covered his mouth, trying to hold back his tears. His son, only eleven years old, was gone. 

In the ICU a few hallways away, the little girl from the tube maze lay, head wrapped in bandages. Already blood had stained the pristine white gauze. She sniffled miserably, twisting the blanket in her fingers. A nurse and a doctor stood just outside of the door, talking quietly. "I did a thorough examination, but couldn't find anything in her eyes. Have her taken down to get a CT Scan and an X-ray. I'm worried it might be a hemorrhage. You better rush it; she's been bleeding since she got here and might not have long." The nurse nodded and hurried into the room.

Hours of tests turned into days. And then a week. And then two. No parents ever came to claim the mysterious girl. Although the nurses were able to get a little information from her. A doctor stood, scanning her medical charts with a puzzled expression. 

Name: Y/N Collins  
Age: 7 yrs  
Insurance: Unknown  
Name of Parent(s)/Guardians: Patrice Collins   
Phone Number: Unknown  
Emergency Contacts: Unknown

Diagnosis: Yet to be determined  
Medications Prescribed: Ketorolac   
Notes: Patient frequently complains of pain in and behind eyes

There had to have been dozens of tests run on her. Some done while she was awake, others while she was asleep. The doctors at Crestview Hospital were stumped. They had no idea what caused the bleeding from Y/N's eyes. All of her x-rays and brain scans came back perfectly normal. By all accounts, Y/N should have been a perfectly healthy little girl. Over time, the bleeding had begun to decrease. It was now only happening every few hours, rather than 24/7. And so, with no way to help her, the doctors decided to send her to someone they thought might be able to. 

'Sunshine Pediatric Institute' was written in colorful letters on the old brick sign in the parking lot. The building itself was painted bright blue, with flowers and butterflies and big fluffy clouds. Y/N looked around anxiously, twisting the fabric of her dress in her fingers. They were the clothes she'd arrived to the hospital in; the only clothes she had. At the door, an older woman with silvery gray hair dressed in a brightly colored pantsuit and white lab coat greeted her. "Hello there! I'm Dr. Grace." Y/N looked at the ground. She had avoided looking anyone in the eyes since that day at the playground. Dr. Grace's cheer wilted into worry for the small child in front of her. The EMT accompanying Y/N handed the doctor a thick manilla folder. "Thank you," Dr. Grace smiled. Turning her attention back to Y/N, the friendly older woman offered Y/N her hand. "Why don't I show you your new room, huh? And then after that I can introduce you to some of the other children!" The small child in front of her didn't even respond, hanging her head. 

Much like the other doctors, Dr. Grace was totally stumped by Y/N's odd eyes. Thankfully, the bleeding eventually stopped. As did the pain. Sometimes at night, rather suddenly, Y/N would wake screaming. The pain would have returned, even stronger. Blood would leak from her eyes and she would writhe in agony. But, by morning it would be over and no one would know why. The staff at Sunshine Institute decided to hold Y/N and monitor her, hoping to eventually discover a cause. 

After some months there, Dr. Grace was finally able to reach Patrice Collins, Y/N's mother who had vanished. The doctor twisted the phone cord anxiously in her hands as the phone rang. The other line picked up. A tired woman answered the phone.   
"Hello?"   
"Mrs. Collins? My name is Dr. Grace Everett and I have your daughter. I was hopi-  
"That thing isn't my daughter. It's an abomination," the woman on the other end of the line hissed into the receiver.  
"Please, ma'am, I'm just trying to inquire about your family's medical history," Dr. Grace gripped the phone tighter. She had to stop herself from screaming at Patrice about what a disgusting mother she was.   
"You can't help that little monster. If I were you I'd drop her out in the middle of nowhere. I should have taken her farther than the park." There was a loud click before the line went dead. Dr. Grace stared at her phone in shock. What kind of monster abandons their child? She quickly contacted the police. 

Two days later, Dr. Grace received a phone call.   
"Dr. Everett? I'm Detective Michael Franklin. I'm calling about a report you made a few days ago?"  
"Yes," Dr. Grace snatched a notepad and pen, wanting to be prepared for anything.   
"I have some grimm news. Patrice Collins is dead." Dr. Grace felt the heat drain from her body.   
"I-I'm sorry, what?" She spoke just above a whisper.   
"Our autopsy team places her time of death within an hour after your phone call to her. It was a clear suicide," Detective Franklin explained calmly. "I'm afraid that's all the details I can give you at this time," he added after a moment. 

Patrice Collins' suicide was all over the news for the next few days. Not because she was particularly special or important, but because of the state of her home. Patrice had been a wealthy lawyer with a husband and two children. She was known for being quiet, polite, and well put together. Upon discovering her body, her house was more empty whiskey bottles than floor. Pictures of the family had been taken down from the walls. The face of their daughter Y/N carefully burned out of every single one. The little girl's room had black and red writing all over the pastel pink walls. Y/N's clothing had been pulled from the closet and cut up, tossed about the floor. The only room left unscathed after Patrice's breakdown was the room of Y/N's younger sister. The infant had died earlier that same year. Doctors had named the cause of death SIDS. The news would go on to claim that the death of Patrice's infant daughter had caused her to snap. Patrice blamed the death on Y/N and began to abuse her before ultimately abandoning her at a nearby park. Patrice's husband, Richard Collins, was found a few days after the news hit. He had also committed suicide. 

With no home and no family, Y/N was now in full custody of the institute. Dr. Grace made every effort to be there for the shy little girl. But as the weeks went by, one more disaster would happen. 

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon, just after lunch. The patients had been taken into one of the designated playrooms for a bit of fun. Many of the children were sick and didn't have a lot of energy. For this reason, the room was full of small tables and chairs for the children to play boardgames, solve puzzles, draw and fingerpaint. Y/N sat far from the other children, quietly working on a page in a coloring book. A larger boy approached her. "I want to color in that book," he said harshly. Y/N nodded, "okay. I'll take my page out." "No. I want that page." The boy snatched the book from under Y/N's hands. Y/N looked up at him. "Please give it back." Blood began to pool at the corners of her eyes. The boy shook his head, "no. It's mine." Y/N gripped the crayon in her hand so hard it snapped. She shut her eyes, "go away." The little boy decided he didn't like this. "No. I want this table. You go away!" "Fine," Y/N grumbled, turning to leave. The boy snatched her by the shoulder, swinging her back around. Her eyes opened wide. 

At another table, Dr. Grace was monitoring a finger painting session. Her attention was immediately pulled to the far corner of the room when the little boy that had been picking on Y/N began screaming. She shot up from her chair and hurried over to the two children. "What is it?! What's wrong?!" Y/N was standing perfectly still, eyes trained on the little boy like a deer in headlights. Blood trickled down her cheeks and chin. The boy continued to scream. He didn't move. He couldn't move. Blood began to drip from his own eyes. "It hurts! Stop! Help! I can't- I can't- Dr. Grace grabbed the little boy, intending to hurry him to their emergency bay. A few minutes later she returned for Y/N, carrying her away while two nurses came in to monitor the other children. Y/N seemed to be in a trance. She felt confused and dizzy. The boy who had antagonized young Y/N would never see again.

"Here we are," Dr. Grace sighed, placing a pair of glasses onto Y/N's face. Y/N blinked, looking around. "Do I have to wear these?" Dr. Grace nodded earnestly. It had been a few weeks since the incident with the little boy. Dr. Grace had been working very closely with Y/N ever since, trying to understand what had happened that day. Dr. Grace began to notice how when Y/N would look up into her eyes for even a second, her head would begin to ache. Y/N would walk with her head down, sometimes running into walls or people. She rarely dared to look up, let alone make eye contact. 

"Yes," Dr. Grace said confidently, "it's only a mild prescription for reading. I wear reading glasses myself. But it's very important that you always wear these when other people are around. Do you understand?" Y/N touched the frames of the glasses, trying to get them to sit more comfortably on her face. "How come?" "Do you remember what happened with Billy last month?" Y/N looked down at her lap and nodded softly. "Well," Dr. Grace said calmly, "if you wear these, it won't happen anymore." Y/N looked up at Dr. Grace, eyes wide, "really? I can look at everyone?" Dr. Grace smiled. Looking at Y/N with the glasses on, she didn't feel any sort of pain. Maybe a mild tingle in the back of her eyes. "Really." 

Y/N bounced in her chair, "oh thank you! Thank you!" She hugged Dr. Grace's leg. Dr. Grace smiled down at Y/N, gently patting her head. She quietly hoped that the glasses would be enough. 

After receiving her glasses, Y/N's pain and bleeding stopped. She was, by all accounts, cured. Still, having no home and nowhere to go, she was placed into a foster care system. Dr. Grace became her foster parent, fearing what might happen if Y/N were to have another incident. Her life was finally stable and somewhat normal, and would remain that way for twelve years.


	2. Don't Look

Orange and brown leaves tumbled in a cool breeze. Y/N stood, wiping tears from her face with a handkerchief. A few doctors and nurses stood around her, offering her their support and reassurance. She watched bitterly as the oak casket that held Dr. Grace Everett's body was lowered into the ground. A priest stood at the head of her grave, saying a prayer as the doctor was lowered into her final resting place. 

"She would have been proud of you," one of Dr. Grace's friends said to Y/N gently, patting her on the shoulder. Y/N managed a quiet thank you. "She was seventy years old," another said, "it was a good, long life." Similar sentiments were shared by the other doctors and nurses. Yes, Dr. Grace had already been old when she took Y/N in. But for Y/N, who was only 19, it still felt like she was gone far too soon. 

Three Days Later

Sunday. The sky was clear. Y/N sat in her room, flipping through a photo album. Dr. Grace had left her everything. The house, the car, a small fortune. She was too steeped in grief to enjoy these parting gifts, however. Her mind wandered as she looked back fondly on their time together. Setting the album down, she wiped a few stray tears from her face. "Get it together, Y/N," she told herself. After a moment, she stood and took a deep breath. "I need to get out of the house for a while. I'll go for a walk." Slipping on a pair of comfortable shoes, Y/N packed a small lunch and made her way out of the house. She surveyed the empty yard and car covered in old leaves before making a sharp left and marching into the tree line a few yards from her home. 

By all accounts, it was a beautiful day. The kind of day her adoptive mother would have enjoyed taking a peaceful stroll on. The thought made Y/N smile, remembering those afternoons when she was small where she'd walk hand in hand with the older woman and enjoy the fresh spring air. As she wandered down the familiar trail, she reached up to wipe at her misty eyes. Freezing, she touched her face again. She'd forgotten her glasses. Taking a breath, she shook her head. Out here in the woods, who would she possibly run into? It would be okay if she took a break from them for a little while. 

Finding the familiar clearing, she spread out her little blanket and set down her bag. "Too bad I didn't bring a camera," she remarked, looking around at the bare branches reaching up to the sky. To Y/N they looked like the thin a gnarled fingers of some ancient creature, trying to claw its way out of the earth. It was breathtaking, yet eerie. Unpacking her lunch, she casually flipped open her sketchbook and began to scribble away the creature's hideous hands. Dr. Grace had encouraged Y/N to draw from a young age, believing it would help her to put negative thoughts out of her mind. And it worked like a dream. The wind rustled the branches, causing Y/N to shiver. 

"Nice day for a picnic," A voice said from someone nearby. Y/N whipped her head around, but then quickly hung her head, remembering that she wasn't wearing her glasses. She'd just barely caught something in her periphery. Something yellow? "It is," she said quietly, continuing to draw, "but this is supposed to be private property... Why are you here?" "I was looking for the doctor that lives in the big house nearby," a male voice, deep. His tone was friendly enough. "Dr. Grace? She uh... she passed away. I'm her daughter," Y/N said quietly. "Oh shit," he said, "I'm sorry to hear it... she was a good woman." Y/N cautiously turned her head and fixed her eyes on the stranger's torso, careful not to look up at his face. "Were you a patient of hers?" "Yeah," he said, tucking his hands into the pocket of his yellow hoodie. He was wearing faded blue jeans and work boots. A camera was hanging from his neck. 

Silence settled around the two, painfully awkward. Y/N closed her sketchbook and began to pack up her things. She wanted to get home and get her glasses on. They made her feel secure. She was mentally kicking herself for forgetting them in the first place. "Uh... If you don't mind," the man said, clearing his throat, "Dr. Grace should have had a prescription written for me. I was supposed to pick up the slip today." "Oh! You must be Brian," Y/N nodded. There had been a pre-written prescription on the late doctor's desk, among many other papers Y/N had sorted through when getting things organized for the funeral. "That's me," Brian chuckled awkwardly. Why was this girl not looking at his face? What was her deal? Oh well, better to just get his medication and get home. 

"Right. Come with me, I'll get it for you," Y/N nodded, standing up and picking up her blanket. "Sorry for the trouble," Brian mumbled, stepping aside for her to lead the way. Was she intent on not looking at him? It felt kind of rude. Maybe she was just grieving and didn't want him to see her tears? Either way, it was a long and tense walk back to the large house on the edge of the woods. Opening the door, Y/N lead Brian into the living room. "Wait here for just a second, the slip is in her office," Y/N said, quickly making her way over to the hallway going under the stairs. She pushed the door open and snatched her glasses up from the desk, breathing a sigh of relief. Her heart had been pounding the whole walk home. Fixing them onto her face, Y/N spotted the slip and took it from the desk. 

"Sorry about that," Y/N said, offering an apologetic smile as her eyes met Brian's for the first time. Wow, he was really cute. She felt a bit guilty for being so stand-offish before. It wasn't his fault she'd forgotten her glasses. Brian grinned. So she had just needed to straighten her face. It was a bit of a relief. He took the slip from her hands with a sigh. "Thanks so much. Sorry to trouble you while you're grieving." "It's alright. I was expecting you to come by. Sorry for being so weird," Y/N brushed a hand through her hair. "Weird isn't always a bad thing," Brian assured her. He turned to the door. Pausing in the doorway, he turned to look at her once more. She smiled patiently, tucking her hands into her pockets. "Take care, uh- "Y/N. Sorry, I totally forgot my manners earlier. And thank you, Brian. I appreciate it." 

And then he was gone. The rest of the evening passed quietly. In the morning, Y/N rose from the couch and looked around. It had been a rough night, tossing and turning and trying her hardest to sleep. Rubbing at her eyes, she stuck her glasses on her face. "Time for breakfast..." Y/N made her way over to the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, Y/N stared anxiously at the stove. She... didn't know anything about cooking. With a sigh of defeat, she accepted her fate and got dressed to go to the little breakfast diner nearby for some food.


	3. Don't Lie

The smell of coffee washed over Y/N as she opened up the door to the diner. It was a nostalgic smell for her, calling to mind memories of her late mother. Taking a seat in a far booth, she surveyed the diner. There were hardly any people there; just a few elderly folks enjoying a quiet breakfast. That suited her fine, though. Taking out her sketchbook, she began to draw. "What can I get you started on?" The waiter's voice alerted Y/N and she looked up. "Brian? Funny running into you here," she smiled, setting down her pencil. Brian grinned, "Y/N, right? Howdy. Yeah, I just got a job here not too long ago. Small world, right?" He chuckled. Y/N really enjoyed the sound; it was warm and gentle. Somehow it made her feel less lonely. "Small town, for sure," Y/N said, "sorry, am I keeping you from work?" "Well, it's almost the end of my shift," Brian shrugged, "but you're a welcome distraction." Heat crept up into Y/N's face. Was he flirting? She'd never been flirted with before! How should she even respond? "O-Oh well! Can I get a coffee then?" She laughed awkwardly, twisting the end of her shirt in her fingers. He nodded, "sure! Need a few to think about what you wanna eat?" "Uh... yeah, if that's alright," Y/N grinned.   
"It's not a problem. I'll go and get your coffee. Oh! Cream and sugar?" He looked at her with a patient smile. "Uh... almond milk? I'm lactose intolerant," Y/N added sheepishly. "No worries." He turned and strolled back towards the kitchen. Y/N watched him go before turning back to her sketchbook. Her face still felt hot. Brian was really nice. She wondered what he was like. He must have some problems, surely, considering the fact that he was a patient of Dr. Grace. After all, the late doctor had been a psychiatrist.  
Y/N's line of thought was disrupted when a mug of coffee appeared next to her sketchbook with a soft tink! Smiling, she looked up and offered Brian a thank you. He set down a little cup full of almond milk and took out his pen and notepad. "So. Have you figured out what you were going to order?" "Oh! Yes," Y/N nodded. She gave her order and then put her sketchbook away, not wanting to get anything on it. Brian left for the kitchen. Stirring almond milk into her coffee, Y/N glanced out of the window at the road. This was the only stop for a little ways, with woods stretching up high on either side of the craved and faded asphalt. Among the pine trees, for just a moment, she thought she saw something different. Something blue? It must have been a bird flying past.   
"Here's your order!" Brian set a plate of steamy food in front of Y/N, pulling her attention from the road. He was holding a second plate. "Thank you," Y/N smiled and picked up her fork. "Mind if I join you?" Brian set his plate down across from her. She was surprised. "Oh. Yes. I mean- no! Please, do." She shifted in her seat, feeling flustered. It was a shock to her that Brian would want to have breakfast with her. "Is your shift over?" She looked up at him. "Yep! I can't wait to get home and pass out," Brian said with a dreamy sigh, "but first I've got to get some food into me." The two laughed before digging in.   
Once the food was cleared from her plate, Y/N fished her wallet from her bag. "Oh, I already got it," Brian said, "my treat for bothering you the other day. I felt bad showing up when you were grieving." Y/N smiled. "Actually, I'm kind of glad you showed up. It's always just been me and my mom. So without her I haven't really had anyone to talk to. But thank you so much. I appreciate it." "It's no trouble. I'm glad I could distract you for a little while." He pulled a small black notebook out of his pocket and scribbled something in it before tearing out the page and handing it to her. "Here. My number. I'm new in town and don't have many friends. Maybe we met at just the right time?" Y/N took the slip of paper tenderly, face bright red. "Wow! Really? Thank you. I was so weird the other day, but you still want to be friends with me?" Brian shrugged, "I've met weirder, trust me." Y/N laughed, "that's a little concerning." 

Fallen leaves crunched under heavy boots. So if the rumors are true... Lifting a hand, he pushed stray brown locks out of his face. He grinned, raising the navy mask slightly on his face. Then that's the girl I'm looking for. There was indeed a unique girl living at the edge of this forgettable town. Jack turned over his scalpel in his hoodie pocket. He was itching to get his hands on her eyes. A rumor he'd heard from an acquaintance. It had only been a few nights ago...

The masked man huffed an annoyed sigh as he glared down at the leg of his repeat 'patient'. "You're lucky that I was able to reattach it," Jack hissed, pulling the needle and thread along a ghastly wound. The pale man leaning back in the chair grunted, trying to hide as much of his pain as possible. "Fuck you, Jack. This never would've happened if that stupid bitch had just- "I don't want to hear your whining, Jeff. You're all sewn up. Did you bring payment?" The pale man rolled his eyes, pushing stringy black hair from his bloodshot eyes. Jeff nodded to the small icebox on the kitchen counter. "I did, yeah... That reminds me. I was at this bar the other night and I heard an interesting rumor." "I don't really care about human gossip, Jeff," Jack sighed, pulling a roll of gauze out of his first aid kit. "But you're interested in weird abilities and creatures, right? That type of shit always makes you shut up and listen." "...What did you hear?" Jack dumped alcohol over Jeff's wound, causing the man to hiss in pain.   
"There's this girl who lives in the nearby town. The guy at the bar was talking about how he watched his brother die when they were real young. Apparently the girl looked him in the eyes and he just... clawed his own eyes out." Jack's ears twitched. "Really? Interesting." Jeff nodded, tossing his knife and catching it. "Yeah, apparently her whole family died shortly after and she got taken to some institute... Sunshine whatever. That's as much of the story as I got." Jack clicked his tongue as he finished up wrapping Jeff's leg. "Your injury is treated. It wouldn't kill you to take a shower while you're here. You reek of booze and blood." "Aw, you don't like my natural musk?" "No," Jack hissed, "touching you is like handling a living biohazard." He was already at the sink, washing his hands. Jeff cackled. 

Patiently, Jack watched Y/N get into her little car and drive away. He'd been tracking down the story since Jeff left his lab. He needed to know about her eyes for himself. He was preparing to follow her car when he spotted another figure coming out of the diner. It had been hard to tell who he was before, but as the morning sun shone down on him, there could be no mistake. He grit his teeth as he glared at the carefree figure. "Brian." 

What a nice day it had been. Y/N was home, safe and sound, going through and packing up the last of her late mother's belongings. It hadn't been easy. She was already trying to figure out what she would do with all of the extra space in the house. It couldn't be empty forever, could it? As she stared into her late mother's room, thoughts of the future slowly turned... dark. How was she supposed to start a family with her condition? What if one morning she opened her eyes and her future lover was afflicted by them? If she had a child, would that child inherit the cruel 'gift'? Was she going to live alone, in fear of her gift forever? At some point or other her inheritance would run dry and she'd have to start bringing in her own money. She'd never even thought about what work would be like for her. All Y/N had was a part-time job editing documents online. And her mother had gotten her the job in the first place. What if she was fired? What would she do if she had to go out and work in a diner or at a grocery store? When was she going to learn how to cook? She couldn't keep eating out forever. What if she messed up really bad and burned the house down? Then where would she go? Her breath began to hitch, tears dripping down her face. What was going to become of her? Her chest was tight. What was she going to do? A sob caught in her throat.   
Before the panic could set in any further, the doorbell rang. Wiping at her red eyes frantically, Y/N made her way downstairs and opened the door. "Hello?" There was no one on the porch. She glanced around, frowning. No one had ever played this kind of prank on Y/N before. Her house was too far out of the way for this sort of joke. Furrowing her brows, she shut and locked the door. "Alright then... Weird..." Feeling suddenly anxious, she went to the kitchen and locked that door. Then she began to lock the windows throughout the house one by one. Why did she feel so scared? She couldn't place the reason. Something just felt... off.   
Producing her phone from her pocket, she scrolled through her contacts. Doctors, lawyers, her mother... She didn't know who she could call. She just wanted someone to talk to. Brian's name caught her eye. She clicked the generic grey icon, holding her breath. Ring... Ring...   
"Hello?"  
"Brian? Hi, it's Y/N..." She hugged herself, pacing the hall beneath the stairs anxiously.   
"Y/N? Is everything okay?" Brian sat up in bed, rubbing his face. He'd been sleeping all day. Glancing out of the window, he could see that the sun had disappeared. Thankfully he'd gotten the night off.   
"Well... I-I guess I'm just noticing how empty the house is," Y/N said softly. Should she tell him about the doorbell? Would he think she was being dramatic?   
"I know what you mean. It must be rough handling all of Dr. Grace's affairs all by yourself." Brian pushed a hand through his hair, brows furrowed. Something felt off. Y/N sounded really anxious.   
"Yeah, it's been a little difficult. Thank you for being so friendly. I hope I didn't interrupt anything important..."  
"Not at all. I was just catching up on my beauty sleep," he chuckled. Sounded like she was already feeling a little better.   
"Oh, right. You work nights," Y/N said, more to herself, "sorry if I woke you. Do you want to go back to sleep?"   
"No, no, that's alright. Did something happen? I can hear you pacing."  
"Well, truth be told... something kind of odd did happen. Someone rang my doorbell a few minutes before I called you. I answered the door and no one was there. It was really strange. But I guess maybe it was just some kids playing a prank..." Y/N could hear shuffling on the other end of the line.   
"You live in the middle of the woods. Where would kids have come from?" Brian sounded more serious than he had a second ago. He was pulling on a clean pair of jeans with one hand. There was a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Had they already caught up to him? Fuck!   
"Oh, I guess I hadn't really thought about that... Should I call the police?" Y/N stopped pacing, twisting the hem of her shirt with her free hand. Brian sounded worried.   
"The police? I don't know if they'd make it out to you fast enough... I'm coming over, alright?" 

Beep beep beep beep- Brian pulled the phone away from his ear. 'Call Disconnected' flashed on the screen. "Fuck," he muttered, tossing his phone onto his bed. He yanked his faded yellow hoodie on and then slammed his feet into his boots, not bothering with the laces. Shoving his phone into his back pocket, he marched towards the door. He stopped to unlock it and glanced at the small table beside the door. Resting on the table was a large black fabric with a red frowning face embroidered in. He sighed, yanking it up from the table and stuffing it into his hoodie pocket. Just in case... 


	4. Don't Laugh

Heart pounding, hands clamped to her mouth, Y/N glanced all around. Her eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the pitch black. What was she supposed to do? The power had suddenly cut off in the middle of her call! And now her phone wasn't connecting to the service. She tried dialing Brian, and then the police when she began to feel desperate. Tears threatened to spill as she attempted to discern which shapes in the dark were her imagination and which ones were furniture. She was doing her best to keep her breathing as quietly as possible, carefully tip-toeing through the dark. If she could get into the basement, she could flip the breaker and hopefully the lights would come back.  
CREEEAK! The floorboards beneath Y/N's foot creaked loudly, startling her. Her heart began to race even faster, making her feel like she might throw up. The back of her throat tightened. She strained her ears. There were no other sounds in the house. Was she alone? Was she safe? Clenching her fists, she took another step. BAM! Suddenly her face collided with the floor painfully. Hot liquid began to pour from her aching nose. It was blood, she could tell, but in the dark she couldn't see it. Had she tripped? No, she could feel someone holding her down!! Was this the end for her?   
"Hold still," a voice said calmly, "if you comply, I'll let you live..." The voice was deep, cold. Definitely not Brian's. Y/N closed her eyes tightly, body shaking as she sobbed. "Pl-Please- "Don't bother begging. I don't care." Tears streamed down Y/N's face as she trembled. Something pinched at the back of her neck. Just before everything faded out, she heard the sound of cracking wood, and then a loud slam. 

Sun shone in through the curtains, stirring Y/N from her sleep. "Morning," Brian said softly, yawning. "Brian?" Y/N sat up, pain shooting through her face. Immediately, she found her glasses on the coffee table and pushed them onto her face. She gently touched her nose. A bandage had been placed over her nose, and there was tissue stuffed into one of her nostrils. Sitting in a chair across from the couch she was laying on, Brian had a mug clutched in his hands. A large purple bruise was forming on his cheek. There were scratches all over his arms, and gauze wrapped around his shoulder. Y/N's eyes misted over. "I-I thought I was going to die!" She sniffled, wiping at her tears. "Well, luckily, your knight in shining armor made it just in time," Brian joked, setting his mug down. "Are you okay?" She looked up at him through her watery eyes. Brian nodded, "if you think I look bad, you should have seen the other guy. Unfortunately my hoodie didn't survive the incident..." "I'll replace it for you," Y/N said quickly. "Don't worry about it," Brian waved a hand dismissively, "it was old anyway."   
"Well... What exactly happened? I mean... Did the police come and get him? I don't remember much," Y/N said softly, looking at Brian for answers. Brian sighed, "yeah.... I guess you do deserve an explanation. But I need you to promise me you're not going to do anything crazy." Nodding, Y/N swallowed back her anxiety. Brian pushed a mug towards her. "Here, by the way. Drink this and try to relax." He cleared his throat, pushing a mess of brown hair out of his face. "I got here just in time. The door was locked, so I had to kick it down... Sorry about that." 

Last Night

BAM! The door hit the floor with a loud crash. Light from Brian's flashlight shone into the house, catching a dark figure in the hall. "Hello, Brian," the figure said calmly. "Jack," Brian spat, as if the name felt disgusting on his tongue. "No need to jump to conclusions. I simply wish to conduct some resear- Brian's boots pounded on the floor. He was over Jack in an instant, swinging his heavy flashlight. Leaping to his feet, Jack growled, narrowly avoiding the flashlight. Now Brian could see Y/N's unconscious form laying on the floor. There was blood pooled under her head. Gritting his teeth, Brian turned his attention to Jack. Too late. Jack pounced onto him, sinking his teeth into Brian's shoulder. Brain shouted, "fuck!" He slammed his shoulder into the wall, knocking Jack to the floor.   
"Listen to reason, you animal," Jack huffed, rising. There was now a fine crack in the porcelain blue mask on his face. "Like I'd ever listen to you," Brian hissed through clenched teeth. "What's this sorry little human mean to you, anyway?" Jack glanced at the girl on the floor. She was still breathing. "She's my friend," Brian said firmly. "You're an idiot if you think anyone would ever want to be your friend," Jack mocked Brian with a laugh. Growling, Brian tackled Jack again. The man in the blue mask managed to land a firm punch to Brian's jaw. The two tussled until Jack was cornered. 

"In the end, he managed to slip away," Brian sighed, rubbing his sore jaw.   
"Oh," Y/N said, looking into her mug of coffee anxiously. So her attacker was still out there? "Well, thank you, Brian. If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd have survived at all." She offered him a small smile. Brian sighed, nodding softly. "Don't worry too much. I won't let him get you." He'd omitted the fact that he and Jack knew each other. The two sat in silence for a moment. Y/N took a breath. "Brian... I think I should tell you something." He looked up at her.   
"My eyes- Well, that is to say... I..." She laughed nervously, "I've never told anyone this." Brian chuckled, "you've only known me for two days and we're already sharing dark secrets?" Y/N furrowed her brow, struggling to find the right words. Brian cleared his throat, "ah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean- "It's okay. You're trying to cheer me up. Um... I feel like this is really important to tell you, though." "Well, I'm all ears," he said, sitting back. Taking a breath, Y/N removed her glasses from her face. She kept her eyes trained on her reflection in the coffee mug. Thin streaks of red liquid began to trickle down her cheeks. "Fuck, are you alright?!" Brian jumped to his feet. She held up a hand, gesturing for him to stay there. "This is normal," she said softly, "I'm used to it." Slowly, she looked up at him.   
The moment their eyes met, Brian felt an intense pain. He couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. She quickly turned her gaze back to her lap and he gasped; he hadn't even realized he was holding his breath. "Whoa," he mumbled, feeling tears involuntarily pour down his cheeks. "I've alway been like this," Y/N said softly, wiping the blood from her face gently. "I-It started when I was younger. My real mother left me at a park... Back then I couldn't control it." She gently pushed her glasses back on. When she looked up at Brian, he flinched. It made her heart sink. "Do you think I'm a monster?" Brian felt his heart twist at her question. In a way, she reminded him of his former best friend. Tim... "No," Brian said firmly, coming around the table and resting his hands on her shoulders. "You're not a monster. You're just... different. A lot of people are different. It's okay." Y/N set her mug to the side and hugged Brian tightly.   
"I'm so sorry I did that to you," she sobbed, "I-I didn't know how to tell you and- "Shhh, it's okay," Brian said softly, "you've been through a lot." He sighed. Seeing this ability, it became clear why Jack had tried to attack her. That sadistic freak just loved to cut apart unusual creatures. "So," Y/N said softly after she'd calmed down, "what now?" 

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" A flurry of papers and test tubes flew of the smooth metal desk and onto the floor with several high-pitched crashes. "I had her! Brian, you filthy animal," Jack hissed between clenched teeth. "I was so close. This close!!" He grabbed the edge of his desk and flipped it, anger rising. "The perfect specimen! I've been searching for ages for the right pair of eyes... the right moment..." He fumed, pacing back and forth in his now messy lab. He couldn't let the girl slip through his fingers now. But Brian was getting in his way. Sure, Jack was strong, but Brian was bigger than him. He couldn't hope to win. No, he needed a plan. Or a pawn. Someone strong, stupid, with a high tolerance for pain. Jeff? Could he trust Jeff not to damage the human? Jack supposed the limbs weren't terribly important... But Jeff tended to be reckless, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't kill her if she became annoying. Who else could he call?   
Pacing back and forth, he began to weigh his options. Suddenly, he halted, his boots crunching glass underfoot. A cruel smile spread across his face. Yes, it was so obvious. Why hadn't he thought of that sooner? Jack chuckled to himself. Walking over to the counter, he picked up the cracked and ancient cell phone Jeff had gotten for him. He had never called or texted anyone with it, but it was how some of the other creatures of the night found him when the needed to be sewn back up. Always for a price, of course. Jack scrolled through the phone's rather short contact list. 

Ring... Ring... "Hello?"  
"I have a job for you."


	5. Don't Lose

"I have a job for you," a familiar voice hissed into the receiver. Staring at his phone in surprise, the man slowly spoke. "A job? This is new..." He could hear Jack grunt in annoyance on the other end, "don't look too much into it." "Right... What's the job?" "I need you to collect a girl for me. Alive." Silence. The man glanced down at his phone, brows furrowed in confusion. Jack had requested a lot of things since their acquaintanceship began, but this was definitely the weirdest. "Just any girl, or- "I have a target in mind," Jack said quickly, "and I've already tracked her down, but her location might change soon." "Jack, what is this about?" There was a certain discomfort in his voice. "Since when do you ask questions?" Jack was sounding increasingly impatient. "...Right," he sighed, pushing a hand through his dark hair, "send me the address. Is there anything else I should know?" "Try not to damage her face. She's being guarded by someone. An old friend of yours, Tim." Gritting his teeth, he looked at the mask on the bedside table. "I told you, it's Masky now. I assume you mean Brian?" "Perceptive as always." Taking a breath, Tim nodded, "leave it to me. We'll talk payment later." 

Now what? Brian and Y/N sat, awkwardly, not saying much. The two were listless, sitting on the couch with not much to do. "Um," Y/N said softly, "do you... have work today?" "Nope," Brian sighed wistfully, "but I might have to call in and quit. If I leave you alone for too long- "I'll go to work with you. I can sit in the diner and draw. I don't mind," Y/N said quickly. Brian had already done so much for her. She couldn't put him out of a job. He smiled, "I appreciate it. Do you have a, uh, spare room? We may as well work out arrangements." Y/N nodded, rising from the couch. "Yeah, I can show you. How long do you think you'll be staying?" Brushing a hand through his hair, Brian hummed. "Ah... I'm not sure. Until we managed to scare that monster off, I suppose... I'm sorry all this happened."   
"It isn't your fault," Y/N said softly, "my mother- Dr. Grace. She once told me that there were doctors out there who wanted to do tests on my eyes that she couldn't allow. She had always worried what might happen if anyone else knew about my eyes. So she home schooled me. And then when I was out of school, she helped me get a job online so I wouldn't have to leave the house too often. I think she thought that if I was out here, no one would find me." Nodding, Brian followed Y/N up the stairs and down the hall. "She really wanted to protect you, huh?" Y/N paused. "It's what I've always believed." She opened up a door into a rather plain room. A single bed with a quilt, a small dresser, and a closet. The window had white lace curtains, and you could see down into the front yard. Orange and brown leaves drifted in the breeze. "I'm gonna need to go back to my apartment and grab my things," Brian said, "so we're gonna have to go for a little ride. Mind if we take your car? My ride isn't particularly built for luggage." 

"You drive a motorcycle?" Y/N looked at the chrome detailing with wide eyes. Sleek black and red paint, a helmet hanging from the handle. "Sure do," Brian said casually, "I like to feel the wind on my face. Have you ever ridden on one?" Shaking her head, Y/N unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat. "No. This is actually my first time seeing one in person. It's not scary?" "Nah," Brian shrugged, sliding into the passenger seat. 

Twenty minutes later, Brian and Y/N got out of the car. "That was a long drive," Y/N said softly, "how did you get to my house so fast last night?" Brian hummed, "maybe it's better if you leave it to your imagination. Come on, I'll show you the bachelor pad." Y/N chuckled nervously. She followed him up, occasionally checking over her shoulder. The anxiety she felt being outside melted away as soon as she stepped into Brian's apartment. He swiftly turned the deadbolt, something she was grateful for. "I'm going to start packing, make yourself at home," Brian said as he made his way back to his room to gather his things. Y/N looked around with intrigue. The apartment was quite plain, and surprisingly clean. She smiled to herself, spotting Brian's camera on the kitchenette counter. "You mentioned you just moved to town," Y/N said as she observed the home. "Yeah," Brian called from the other room, "a month or two ago. I've mostly been working and trying to stay out of trouble." On a shelf in the corner, Y/N noticed a large stack of small black notebooks. They were all in various states of wear and tear. She wondered if they were from his school days. "...I know you're older than me. Did you go to college?" There was a long silence. "Yeah," Brian said, coming out of the bedroom with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "I was in college for a bit. Uh... I dropped out, though. Couldn't stick it out I guess." He laughed nervously. Y/N smiled softly. "Right."

Crisp leaves fluttered down from the trees. Orange, brown, red, yellow. Drifting lazily. Already dead before they ever touched the ground. Pretty, rotting things. Tim clenched his jaw. The house was huge. A two story built in a bygone era, the deep red of the bricks now faded and covered in moss. The roof looked new, freshly shingled in the last year or two. He had counted the windows, trying to make a rough estimate of the amount of rooms. There was a motorcycle parked in front of the house with a helmet hanging off it. Based on Jack's description of the girl, he guessed it wasn't hers. Brian's, maybe. He didn't used to ride, but after everything maybe he'd learned? Gritting his teeth, he lit another cigarette. No one was home yet. He'd tried all of the windows and doors. It was all locked up tight. That would make it harder to slip in and wait. Running through Jack's instructions mentally, Tim took a long drag of his cigarette. It was going to be a long night. He made sure to pocket the butts of the cigarettes, not wanting to leave any hint he was here. For now, it seemed, all he could do was wait. 

His eyes trailed to the side of the building. He began to circle the house for the hundredth time. This time, he spotted something very low to the ground. A small window into the basement. That must've been how Jack got in. Tim glared at the window. It would be a tight squeeze. He could probably do it. He had lost a lot of weight since college. Still, once he was in he knew he'd have to find a different exit. What were the chances he could hide there? Would Brian immediately begin to search the house when they got back? He supposed there was only one way to be certain... Kneeling down, he pushed at the window carefully. It gave way easily, opening into the basement. He scanned the ground. Nothing seemed out of place. There were several shelves of boxes around, a washer and dryer for laundry, and a set of stairs. Taking a breath, he slid into the window feet first. 

Thud! His boots echoed loudly against the unfinished floor. Up the stairs, he could see a door. And another door hidden behind a shelf... This piqued Tim's interest. He carefully shut the window to the basement and pulled a white, plastic mask out of his jacket. He slid it on. Glancing at the stairs, he made his way to the half-hidden door. It opened inward, allowing him to see inside. Spiders had made it home, but other than that he could see... boxes. Feeling disappointed, he flipped one open. A newspaper greeted him. The headline caught his attention 'CHILD FOUND DEAD AT DAWSON PARK'. Pulling a small flashlight out of his pocket, he knelt and began to read the article...


	6. Don't Land

Sliding out of the passenger seat of Y/N's car, Brian looked around. The house seemed to be in order. Y/N stepped out of the car and strolled up to the front door, sorting through her keys for the one that fit the lock. Moving quickly, Brian stepped between her and the door. She looked up at him, confused. "Don't you think I should check the house first? In case there's someone waiting inside?" Y/N thought for a moment. Before they'd left, they'd double checked all the doors and windows. But someone could have easily broken a back window, she supposed. "You're right. I wasn't really thinking," Y/N nodded, face growing hot. She felt a little dumb. "It's okay," Brian said, gently taking the keys from her. "No one wants to think there might be something waiting inside their house." Nodding again, Y/N took a few steps back. Brian pushed the door open and gestured for her to follow. "Stay close to me. If something happens... run."   
After closing and locking the front door, the two made their way through the large house slowly. Opening every door, checking every hiding place. Carefully examining under beds and inside closets. Prodding at the pile of abandoned laundry in Dr. Grace's old bedroom. Pushing back shower curtains. No book left unturned. Finally, they had checked nearly the whole house. They stood before the last door. The basement door. It was in the kitchen, right beside the back door. The back door, Brian noted, was still locked. "Does your basement have lights?" Brian looked at Y/N. It was still strange to her, how serious he could be when the situation needed it. Normally he was so sunny and laid-back. Cracking jokes and sharing his signature grin.   
"It does. The switch is at the bottom of the stairs, though. Not a great design..." Brian offered her a little smile. Trying to silently reassure her that he could handle whatever might be down there. He opened the door, and started steadily down the stairs. It was dim, but the stairs were in good condition. He could see rows of shelves, neatly lined with boxes. A corner with a washer and dryer. Flicking the switch at the bottom, he sighed as the lights hanging above flickered to life. The floor plan was very open, with nowhere for someone his size to hide. Still, Brian made his way around the entire basement, Y/N in tow. "Looks like the house was empty after all," Y/N sighed, relieved. Brian nodded. "Yeah- Wait.." His eye caught sight of the door in the far corner. Tucked half-way behind a shelf. It would have been a tight squeeze, but...   
Before he could step towards it, Y/N grabbed his wrist. "Um... I'd really prefer if you didn't go in there." Brian stopped. "We need to check," he said, looking at her. Y/N bit her lip. "I-I know... but... maybe I can check?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. She wasn't ready for Brian to see all of those papers. The medical files on her eyes, the news paper clippings, the crime scene photos... she didn't even want to see them. It was a part of her life that she desperately wanted to forget. Seeing that there was clearly something important in that closet, Brian relented. "Alright. There hasn't really been any signs of anyone, so I guess it's alright." Nodding, Y/N moved carefully to the closet. As her hand rested on the knob, a sudden wave of anxiety rolled over her. It left a deep knot in her stomach. Something was wrong. Still, she yanked open the door, quickly stepping back.   
Beyond the door, she could see boxes. Stacks of boxes, full of papers. Peering into the corners, she sighed. There was definitely nothing in there. Turning her attention to Brian, she shook her head. "It looks clear." "Cool. Now that we're finished with that, what are we doing for dinner?" Y/N gently closed the closet door. She smiled sheepishly, "well, we could order a pizza or- "We should eat here. I haven't had home-cooked food in ages." Y/N laughed nervously. "Right. Let's see if there's anything in the freezer we can make. I don't have much as far as groceries go right now." 

A Few Minutes Ago

Heart pounding, Tim lay as still as humanly possibly. He'd heard them come in. Two sets of footsteps. One distinctly light and steady. The other, slower, still light, but certainly not practiced. They were checking the house. Trying to move quietly. When he heard them enter the basement, he clenched his teeth. Would they find him? He was certain that if they did, he'd lose. After all, he was in this tiny, cramped closet. Brian would have a huge advantage. The two were quiet as they went through the basement. And then Tim heard their voices. "Looks like the house is empty after all." A nervous voice said, followed by a sigh. Tim assumed this must be the girl Jack wanted. Her voice was... nice. If the stuff he'd been reading for the last hour or so was true, though, she'd be a much better fit into their world than she ever was living among regular day folk.   
"Yeah- Wait.." Brian's voice made Tim's heart skip a beat. He felt anger run through him at the mere thought of his former best friend. There was silence for a moment. Had Tim's hiding spot been discovered? "Um, I'd really prefer if you didn't go in there." Tim couldn't help a smirk. Saved by his very target. How ironic. "We need to check," came Brian's voice. Tim's smile faded. Of course he would. "I-I know, but... maybe I can check?" Taking a silent breath, Tim prepared for the worst. Brian hesitated before agreeing. He sounded worried. It made Tim's blood boil. He couldn't help but think, 'since when does Brian care about anyone but himself?' Footsteps drew nearer to the closet. The door opened. He could hear someone shuffling around below him. "It looks clear," the girl's voice called. Now closer than ever. All Tim could do was lay incredibly still in the top shelf of the closet and wait. Brian asked about dinner.   
Straining his ears, Tim listened as the two made their way back up the basement steps. Into the kitchen. Suddenly, Brian burst out laughing. Using the ruckus to his advantage, Tim carefully slid down from the high shelf and onto the pile of boxes. The conversation upstairs was hardly quiet. It seemed like the two were having an awful lot of fun. Taking a breath, Tim looked down at the boxes around him. Now all he had to do was wait for nightfall...

The setting sun painted the sky incredible shades of orange and pink. Usually Y/N and her adoptive mother would sit outside, watching the sunset and enjoying their dinner. But tonight she stood watching it from the window, a glass of water clutched in her hands. Moments like this made her miss her mother dearly. Brian was sitting on the couch, mind elsewhere. 

"What happens now?" Y/N turned to look at Brian. They both knew that once it was dark, there was no telling what would happen.   
"If we're lucky, nothing. But somehow I doubt it." Brian grit his teeth. He'd never know Jack to be interested in living humans. But if Jack knew about Y/N's eyes? That would definitely draw him out. "Do you mind taking the first shift?" Y/N turned from the window, confused at Brian's question.   
"Shift?"   
"Yeah. If we sleep in shifts it'll be safer. That way someone is always awake to listen for trouble," Brian said with a yawn. He'd been up for almost twenty hours at that point. He needed rest. Nodding, Y/N set her glass down.   
"I can do that," she said softly.   
"If anything happens, just scream for me, okay?" Brian offered Y/N a smile. His best attempt to comfort her. Y/N smiled softly, dusting off her jeans.   
"Alright. Hopefully I won't have to." 

Curling up on the sofa, Brian closed his eyes. It took him no time at all to be fast asleep. Y/N looked down at his sleeping face with a small smile. He looked so peaceful. Turning her attention to the now empty glass, she sighed. It was going to be a long night. She took the glance and headed down to the kitchen to wash up. As she made her way down, it occurred to her that Brian knew a lot about surviving. She wondered if it would be wrong to ask him why he knew. 

Soft footsteps echoed through the house. Just one set. Tim strained his ears so hard he felt the blood rushing through them. He could tell Y/N was on the move. He checked his phone. '6:45? The sun should be down,' he thought to himself. He tapped his fingers against his leg. If he knew anything about Brian, it was that he was smart. Careful. So Tim would have to be careful, too. He couldn't risk a careless mistake. The footsteps made their way to the kitchen. His breath caught in his throat as he heard the steps coming closer to the basement door. Tim quickly ducked behind a shelf. 

A loud creak filled the silence as the basement door opened again. From his hiding place, he could see her. A girl at the top of the steps. She didn't seem to notice him as she came down into the room. Perhaps her eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark? She tried to flick on the basement light, but the bulb had burned out. Sighing, Y/N pulled her phone out of her pocket and flicked on the flashlight. Tim watched her cross the room to the closet and open it. She carefully pulled the boxes out and set them down.   
"There. Once this is all over, I'll burn these," Y/N said quietly. She set her hand on top of one of the boxes. Tim furrowed his brows. She seemed... sad. Shaking his head, he carefully began to sneak towards her. This may be his only opportunity. He was two paces away when she suddenly turned and flashed the light in his eyes. "Brian? Is that you?" Tim hissed, turning and covering his face. "Oh, no, I just shined the light right in your face," Y/N quickly turned off the flashlight app. "Are you okay?" I thought you were sleeping. Sighing, Tim straightened up. 

"Sorry lady. I'm not Brian."


	7. Don't Scream

"Sorry lady. I'm not Brian." 

Panicked, Y/N opened her mouth to scream. Her cry was snuffed, however, by one of Tim's large hands.   
"Come with me quietly. This doesn't have to be messy." His voice was firm. Unsympathetic and cold. Y/N felt tears already threatening to spill from her eyes. What should she do? Wait. This voice was different from the one before. This man was different. He was more muscular, and not as tall. Brian's words echoed through her head. "If anything happens, just scream for me, okay?" How was she supposed to scream? This strange man was bigger than her. Stronger. Heart pounding, Y/N swallowed her fear. She nodded to the stranger. Outside, the clouds shifted, allowing moonlight to spill in through the tiny window of the basement. It illuminated the ominous white mask the man wore. Y/N took a shaky breath as Tim released her face. She did have one other option. One she feared almost as much as she feared her capture. 

Tentatively, she reached a hand up and touched her raw face.   
"Keep those glasses on. I know all about your freaky condition," the kidnapper said to her. He knew. Now her heart began to pump even harder. So hard she thought it might rupture. How did he know? What was she going to do? The masked man gestured towards the stairs. Hesitantly, she made her way up them. She was about to do something risky, and stupid. Halfway up the basement steps she shot forward at a sprint, screaming at the top of her lungs.   
"Brian! Brian there's someone here! Help!" Her cries echoed through the house before Tim tackled her to the floor. The collision with the hardwood knocked her glasses free. The delicate frames went skidding across the kitchen floor. Y/N struggled with all her might. Tim wrapped his hands around her neck, deciding it'd be better to knock her out and drag her off. But as soon as he looked into Y/N's face, her eyes caught his. He couldn't look away. Pain shot through his skull. A dull throbbing began in the back of his head. Blood trickled from Y/N's eyes as she glared up at him. 

Feet pounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. The moment Brian saw Y/N pinned under Tim, he rushed over and kicked Tim off. The trance was broken. Tim cursed, rubbing his throbbing eyes. It was even worse than he'd imagined. Like looking into the horrible, non-existent face of the operator all those years ago. Brian kicked Tim again.   
"So this is what you do now? Kidnap helpless girls!" Brian hissed as he kicked Tim a third time. Tim growled, jumpin up and punching Brian.  
"You're one to talk!" Angrily, Tim tackled Brian to the floor. The two rolled around, throwing punches and cursing at each other. Y/N scrambled to her feet, breath ragged. Her eyes ached. She looked at Brian and Tim. Her eyes drifted to an aluminum bat Brian had brought up from the basement earlier. It was only in the house because Dr. Grace didn't believe in guns, but still wanted a way to protect their home. Grasping the handle, Y/N turned to the two boys. Tim had managed to get the upper hand on their tussle. Raising the bat, Y/N took a deep breath.   
"Sorry," she said softly. Then she swung it down at Tim's back. The blow was enough to wind Tim, giving Brian the chance to scramble up and pin Tim down.  
"Zipties! In my backpack upstairs," Brian shouted at Y/N, "hurry!" Nodding, Y/N dropped the bat and sprinted up the stairs. Her chest was on fire from so much excitement. As she bounded away, Tim began to writhe against Brian's grip. Brian huffed, holding him down with all his strength. But Tim was larger, and managed to knock Brian off. 

"Why are you here?" Brian hissed, rising from the floor to clash with Tim.   
"To take everything from you. All over again," Tim said coolly. Brian could see his eyes through the eye-holes of Tim's mask. Those eyes burned with a deep, dark hatred. Brian grit his teeth. His foot knocked into the aluminum bat on the floor. Tim noticed. There was a moment of tense silence. And then both of them dove for it. 

"There!" Y/N yanked Brian's backpack up from the bed in the guest room and anxiously opened it. A pack of zipties tumbled out. Along with a few small notebooks, some pens, a gun and... a black beanie? No, not a beanie. It was too long. Some sort of hood? She caught the faintest hint of something red knit into it. Suddenly, BAM! She heard the two men slamming around downstairs. Y/N yanked the gun and zipties from the bed, leaving whatever the black cloth was behind.   
Rushing back down the stairs, Y/N caught sight of Tim about to deliver a devastating blow to Brian with the bat she'd discarded.   
"Stop!" Y/N pointed the gun at Tim. Her hands shook. With a sigh, Tim dropped the bat.   
"Easy there, four-eyes," he said to Y/N.   
"Get on the ground. Now!" Y/N was surprised at herself. Her voice was more commanding than she ever thought it could be. Brian rose from the floor slowly. She tossed him the zipties. Tim slowly sat down on the ground. Brian secured his hands behind his back. 

"You really saved my neck," Brian sighed, rubbing his throbbing head. Y/N handed him the gun. "Too bad for you, Timmy, this thing isn't even loaded,"Brian laughed as he took the weapon from her. Y/N sighed, feeling relieved. Her eyes were burning.   
"I need to find my glasses," Y/N said softly, touching her face. The blood on her cheeks had dried. Brian nodded.   
"I'll stay here and watch our guest. Be careful."

Stepping around the stranger, Y/N wandered back into the kitchen. She spotted her glasses on the floor near the back door, which now stood open wide. Had it been open before? Had the masked man opened it? She stared into the looming forest just beyond the porch steps. The shapes in the dark didn't make sense. She reached for the handle, intending to close the door. For some reason, her heart had jumped into her throat. There were no signs of danger, but her stomach was twisting into knots. Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to get away from the door. Taking a breath, she swung it shut and twisted the bolt. Then she sighed, shaking her head. How silly. Y/N decided she must have just been on edge from the earlier fight. 

Brian was sitting on the couch, glaring at the man on the floor. Y/N pushed her glasses back on as she came into the room. She looked down at the stranger.   
"What now?" Y/N turned to Brian.   
"Well," Brian sighed, "it might be time to get the police involved." Tim flinched on the floor, clenching his jaw. Y/N sat down beside Brian, nodding.   
"It might be for the best," Y/N sighed. She looked at the masked man curiously. Brian shrugged.   
"It's up to you, Y/N. It's your house, after all." Y/N tilted her head at the man on the floor.   
"I do have some questions," she said with a frown, "like why you would do this. Who you are." 

"People sometimes call me Masky," the man said, looking up at her, "but I don't feel particularly eager to share."   
"You're not the one who was here last night," Y/N said, "that much I know for sure. You're bigger. Your mask is different. Your voice is different. Did that man send you?"   
"Who could say?" 'Masky' turned his head away from Y/N, making it clear he wasn't willing to cooperate. Y/N gripped the hem of her shirt tightly. She had so many burning questions. Somehow, she had to get 'Masky' to answer them.   
"What do you want?" Her question caught Brian and 'Masky' off guard. The masked man looked at her again.   
"Don't negotiate with him," Brian said quickly, "he could try to trick you."  
"I thought this was her house?" Masky spoke to Brian, clearly amused at his discontent.   
"Please, Brian, I know that he has answers. Answers I really need right now," Y/N said, setting her hand on his arm. Brian sighed, shaking his head.

"Aww, poor Brian," Masky said with a laugh. Brian turned to glare at him, gritting his teeth.  
"What is you want, then?" Y/N said firmly.   
"What do you want to know? How about you start by untying me?"   
"Are you going to attack us?" Y/N raised her brows.   
"I wouldn't make it more than a step, since Brian's got that gun in his pocket." Masky's voice was bitter. Y/N nodded softly.   
"Alright. I'll untie you."  
"What?!" Brian looked at Y/N in disbelief.   
"You have a gun, Brian. I'm confident you'll be able to stop him."

With a sigh, Brian raised his hands in defeat. Y/N turned to Masky with a burning look in her eye. It caught his attention. He sat up straighter, tilting his head at her.   
"You're really going to do it?"  
"I am," Y/N said with a nod. Masky laughed harshly.  
"Then you're either crazy or stupid." The distinct click of a gun cocking rang out in the sitting room. The masked man instantly went silent. Y/N took knife from the kitchen and used them to carefully untie Masky's hands. The tender way she gripped his hands to cut the zipties surprised him. She scooted away quickly, looking at him apprehensively. Masky didn't move, dumfounded. He'd expected to be yanked. Cut. Slapped and pushed around. Any sort of abuse, he could have handled. But not that gentleness. It made him feel guilty for attacking her so blindly. 

"Now," Y/N sighed, "my questions?"


	8. Don't Scare

"Now," Y/N sighed, "my questions?"   
"What do you wanna know?" Masky straightened up. Brian kept the gun in his lap, glaring down at him coolly.   
"Who sent you here?" Y/N looked at Masky expectantly.  
"Guy named Jack. I don't think you know him." Masky shrugged.   
"And why did he send you here?" Y/N frowned.   
"He wanted me to grab you and run," the man on the floor said flatly.   
"What does he want from me?" Y/N gripped the edge of her shirt anxiously.   
"Your eyes." She had expected the answer, but it still caused her stomach to twist. Y/N took a breath.   
"Okay, well... How does he even know about me?"   
"No idea. He hired me because I don't ask a lot of questions," he shrugged again. 

Sitting back on the couch, Y/N sighed.   
"Got any more questions?" Masky tilted his head. Y/N furrowed her brow, thinking.   
"This Jack person. Who is he?" The silence in the room was deafening. Masky glanced at Brian. A smile spread across his face under his mask.   
"Why don't you ask Brian?" Masky's question struck Y/N. She looked at Brian, eyes wide. Brian was silent, mouth agape.   
"Brian?" Her eyes searched his face. His stunned expression said it all. The man on the couch beside her was a complete stranger, she realized. Someone she knew almost nothing about. How could she have been so stupid? Letting him into her home, trusting him blindly... She felt like an idiot. 

"Y/N, I know this looks bad, but-   
"Don't," Y/N said quietly, her eyes misting over, "I really don't want to hear your excuses. You knew him. You knew the man who broke into my home and tried to kill me!!"   
"I didn't want to know him," Brian shot back, rising to his feet.   
"But you did! Why wouldn't you just tell me? Are you the reason he found me?!" Brian clenched his fists, looking away from Y/N's piercing gaze.   
"I might be," Brian admitted. Y/N shook her head, rising from the couch and walking to the door. She opened it wide.   
"Leave," Y/N said calmly, "both of you." Masky jumped up and sprinted for the door.   
"Y/N, I'm sorry," Brian said, "but I can't leave. Who will protect you?"   
"I said leave," Y/N said softly. "I'll figure it out myself. I can't trust you anymore." Brian sighed, hanging his head.   
"At least take this," he said, pressing the gun into her hands. Y/N took it, jaw clenched. "I need to get my things," Brian added.

Ten minutes later, Brian had both of his bags on his shoulders as he came down the stairs. He felt too ashamed to look Y/N in the eye. Her anger was justified, he knew. The two stared at each other for a minute. Y/N opened the front door for Brian, watching him coolly. Brian hung his head bitterly. The silence was thick, painfully so. 

Finally, Brian turned and walked out of the door. Y/N stood there, watching him get on his motorcycle. Her heart jumped into her throat when the bike revved to life. She felt like she should say something. But what? Brian offered her a short wave before he turned the bike around and rode off into the night. Y/N remained in the doorway, staring after him for a minute. A weight dropped into her stomach. 

Suddenly, a gloved hand snuck around her face. The hand pressed a cloth to her face, smothering her. Y/N struggled for a moment. The harsh smell of chemicals filled her nose. Y/N's eyes rolled back. Everything slowly went black. 

((TW: Animal Abuse, Emotional Abuse. The story is going to be quite a bit darker for a little while. For your sake, I have included this trigger warning. Please note that I absolutely do not condone Animal abuse or emotional abuse. Read at your own risk. ))

Cold. Y/N shivered, instinctively feeling around for her blanket. Had she kicked it off in her sleep? Her fingers only found cold stone walls. Her hands felt heavy. Forcing her eyes open, she looked around. It looked to be some sort of dungeon? The events of the night before came flooding back to her. She shivered again, looking around. Two heavy metal shackles were bolted onto her wrists. Despite this, she reached up to touch her face. Her glasses were gone. Her clothes hadn't been taken thankfully. Taking in the area around her. Shelves lined with jars. There appeared to be things floating in the jars. Y/N recognized them. Heart, lungs, eyes... Organs. Some had small animals, or whole infants. There were a few with rather peculiar things in them, too. A two headed snake. A hand with long, sharp claws. Hanging on the walls, bugs pinned in shadow boxes. She spotted a microscope on a nearby counter. A set of test tubes. All manner of beakers. At the center of the room, a tall metal table with leather straps hanging off the sides. 

Was this her fate? To be cut open and experimented upon like some sort of animal? She cursed the thought. Still, as she sat staring at all of the horrifying things around her, she began to feel overwhelmed. Y/N's heart pounded. She could barely breathe. She was going to die here. Tears began to stream down her face. She tried to calm herself, to tell herself that everything would be fine. Y/N scanned the room, searching desperately for an escape. 

CREEEEAK. The door at the far corner of the room opened slowly. In walked a man in a white lab coat and slacks. Y/N couldn't see his face because of the operating table in the center of the room. Steady footsteps carried him around the room to her prison. Under the coat, he wore all black. A deep blue mask covered his face, with two ominous black holes where the eyes should be. Y/N felt her heart might explode it was pounding so hard. 

"Hello," he spoke. His voice was not what she'd expected. A bit gravelly, but soft. Quiet. She opened her mouth, but found herself unable to speak.   
"Don't worry," he said quietly, "I don't intend to hurt you. As long as you comply."   
"C-Comply?"   
"Yes," he nodded, "I would like you to consent to a series of tests. I'm a scientist, and I would love to understand your very unusual eyes." Y/N realized that because of his mask, she couldn't see his eyes. Was he looking into hers? No, if he was he'd surely be in some pain, right? Yet it felt as if he was boring those black holes into her very soul.

"What kind of tests?" Y/N finally found her voice, trying to compose herself.  
"Well, first I was hoping to interview you. And then run some preliminary tests before we get into the...hands-on tests."   
"That doesn't answer my question," Y/N frowned.  
"Oh, I see. You wanted a more detailed explanation. Well, to begin I want to ask a series of questions. Your medical history, family medical history. Basics. And then I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine. And if we get beyond that point, I can begin to share the more complex details of the hands-on process with you."   
"You already kidnapped me and locked me up," Y/N said, clenching her fists, "what exactly is the point of asking for my consent? What's the point of pretending to be polite?" The man took a deep breath. His hand twitched.   
"It would make testing a lot easier if you went along with it," he said calmly. 

Silence hung thick in the air. Y/N stared up at him. She was anxious, confused. What was she supposed to do? If she said no, what would he do to her? As all of these thoughts swarmed through her head, the man walked over to the counter and picked up a clipboard and pen. Click! The sound of the pen snapped Y/N back to reality.   
"Who are you?" Her question surprised him. He turned to her, carrying a chair with one hand.   
"Jack Nyras. But you can just call me Jack." He set the chair down in front of the bars of her cage. She hesitantly moved closer to the bars, taking a seat.   
"Are the restraints heavy? I can remove them if you'll participate," Jack said coolly. It was clear he did not care about her comfort. 

"I'll answer your questions," she said, looking away from him. He took a key from his pocket and leaned forward, passing it through the bars. Y/N took it and began to fumble with the padlock on her left wrist.   
"That key doesn't work for the door, so I wouldn't bother trying to run for it," Jack added, watching her rub her raw wrists.   
"Here," she said, passing the key back to him. He was surprised she hadn't tried to make a break for it.  
"You're not going to try and escape?"   
"I don't think there would be a point," Y/N said flatly. She was right. Even if she could get the door open, she'd have to navigate this strange place to the exit. And that could be locked, too, And even if she succeeded in getting home, someone else would just come for her instead. It was the thing Grace had always feared above all. 

"Interesting. Well, in that case, I'm willing to answer some of your questions as well. Shall we begin?" Jack clicked his pen again. Y/N could tell he was becoming impatient. His interest in her made her feel even more anxious for some reason.   
"Right. I'm ready."   
"Excellent. First, are you currently, or have you ever smoked cigarettes or used drugs?"   
"No. Where are we?"   
"The basement level operating room of Sunshine Pediatrics Institution. It's abandoned now, and ideal for my research. Is there any chance you may be pregnant?"   
"How ironic," Y/N muttered bitterly, "and no. I've never... you know."  
"So then I can assume you're not sexually active either." Blush crept across Y/N's face.   
"Please just ask the next question." She frowned.   
"No need to be shy. I am a doctor. Where were we? Oh yes. Do you drink? If so, how often?"   
"No, I'm not old enough yet. Why are you wearing that mask?" 

Silence again. Jack cleared his throat, setting his pen down. He stared at Y/N for a long time.   
"It gives me anonymity. And it is... sentimental, I suppose you could say." He sounded almost amused when he said that. The way he said it sent a chill up Y/N's spine.   
"Right. Um, please continue," she said quietly, shrinking away from him.  
"Lovely," Jack clicked his pen again, "do you have any chronic illnesses?"   
"No. Not unless you count my eyes," Y/N shrugged.   
"Do you take any medications?"   
"Ibuprofen for headaches. An iron supplement."   
"Do you have any allergies?"   
"I'm lactose intolerant," Y/N said thoughtfully, "but it's not too bad."   
"Are you currently feverish or experiencing any aches or pains?" Jack looked up at her patiently.   
"I'm a bit light-headed," Y/N said, "but I'm fine."   
"That's probably from the chloroform. It tends to leave you feeling hungover. It should clear up after you've had some water, maybe something to eat."

"You're going to feed me?" Y/N was surprised. Jack snorted.  
"You thought I wasn't? What good are you to me if you starve to death?" Y/N shrugged.   
"I've never been kidnapped before, I wasn't really sure what to expect." Jack laughed. The sound was warm, and welcome. A breath of fresh air in this stale, sanitized environment.  
"Carrying on," Jack said, looking at his clipboard, "Family History."   
"I might not be able to answer much. I was abandoned," Y/N said, looking down at her lap.  
"I did find some newspaper clippings that mentioned that. I suppose I could leave that blank for now. What next?" He examined his papers. "Ah, right. Time to introduce you to Greg."   
"Greg?" Jack nodded.   
"He's my lab assistant." 

Rising from the chair, the masked man strolled out of the room, leaving the clipboard and pen sitting on the operating table. Y/N sat, unsure of what to do with herself. Jack returned a moment later, carrying a small cage. Inside of it, a large white rat paced excitedly. Jack sat down, setting the cage on the floor beside him. Y/N stared at the rat. It was too busy gnawing at the bars of its own cage to notice her. 

"I'd like to conduct a little experiment," Jack said, "are you ready?"   
"I'm not sure. What exactly will I be doing?" Y/N looked up at Jack. She could feel her stomach twist. Already, she had a sickening feeling she knew what Jack was going to ask her to do.   
"It's simple. I'm going to take Greg out of the cage and hand him to you. And I want you to demonstrate your eye condition to me." Jack lifted Greg out of the cage carefully, offering him to Y/N. Hesitantly, Y/N took the rat into her hands.   
"Don't worry, he doesn't bite," Jack said, watching eagerly. He had his pen poised, ready to take notes. 

Taking a deep breath, Y/N lifted Greg to her eye level. The two stared at each other for a moment. A trickle of red began to make its way down Y/N's cheek. Greg thrashed, squeaking in pain. Quickly, Y/N tore her eyes away, shutting them tight.   
"Why did you stop?" Jack set his pen down.  
"If I keep going, Greg will die," Y/N said, gently stroking the rat's back to try and comfort him.   
"That's what's supposed to happen! He's just a rat! I have a dozen or so more of them!" Jack was losing his patience.   
"I can't kill an innocent animal," Y/N said firmly. Jack growled, tapping his pen impatiently on his clipboard.   
"Why not? Because you think it's 'wrong'? Because you're scared?"   
"Yes!!" Y/N held Greg close, defensive of him.   
"Give me the rat," Jack thrust his hand through the bars. Y/N shook her head.   
"No, you're going to hurt him!"   
"Would you rather I hurt you?"   
"Yes! At least I'd deserve it!" Jack gripped Y/N's arm, pulling her hard against the bars. Y/N's face connected with the bars painfully, and she groaned. Quickly, Jack snatched the rat out of her hands.   
"NO!! Don't hurt him, please!!"   
"This is what happens when you do not obey!!" Jack squeezed the rat. It squealed loudly, thrashing all around. Tighter and tighter Jack squeezed. Until, finally, a trickle of blood came out of Greg's mouth, and he went limp. 

"How could you do that?!" Tears streamed freely down Y/N's face. She covered her mouth with her shaking hands.   
"He was just a little rat," she shouted at him, "he didn't deserve that!!"   
"And you do?" Jack tilted his head, watching Y/N curiously. She was certainly emotional. He could tell right away it was going to make his research much more difficult. Y/N sniffled, shaking her head.   
"I-I don't know. Maybe?" She didn't sound very sure of herself.   
"I'm going to get fresh gloves. I'll be back with your food in a little bit. Behave yourself," Jack said. He was cold, distant. Y/N watched him go in utter disbelief. As he strolled up to the door, he stopped and threw Greg's crumpled corpse into the garbage can. The act made Y/N want to puke.


	9. Don't Steal

((TW's: Animal abuse, arachnophobia, and death. Please read at your own risk.))

Knock knock knock!!   
"Y/N?" The front door was hanging slightly open. When Brian knocked, it opened further. The house was still, quiet. Brian cursed, sprinting inside and checking all of the rooms. He cursed again and again as he came to the realization that Y/N wasn't home.   
"Fuck! Idiot!" He slapped the wall beside him, leaving a small dent in the wood. "I should have known better than to leave her alone! What was I thinking?!" Brian paced the floor, running his hands through his hair.   
"It's unlike you to be so torn up about someone getting hurt," called a voice from behind the stairs. Brian snapped to attention. Tim came strolling out of the small hallway, toting a stack of papers.   
"Tim," Brian grit his teeth. He didn't even think. Brain tackled Tim to the ground and began throwing punches.   
"This is all your fault," he shouted at Tim, seething. Tim shoved him off, kicking him away. 

"I'd say this is all your fault, actually," Tim hissed, collecting the papers from the floor. Brian shook his head, huffing. Picking himself up, Tim turned towards the door. Brian stood, following him impatiently.   
"Do you know where he took her?"  
"The abandoned children's institute. He's set up there," Tim said flatly. Standing still, Brian stared at him in shock.   
"You actually told me," Brian muttered.  
"Yeah. Don't dwell on it," Tim spat, lighting a cigarette, "bye."

"Good morning," Jack's voice stirred Y/N from sleep. She sat up, looking at Jack hesitantly. Her body was littered with sore spots from sleeping on the cold stone floor. The masked man was carrying a plate with eggs, bacon, and bread on it. He opened the door of the cage and set it on the floor, adding a plastic fork. Y/N pulled the plate closer. She frowned at him. There was a painfully long silence between the two. Then, Y/N sighed and picked up the plate. She ate quietly while Jack stared at her. Like he was a little boy watching the animals being fed at the zoo. Y/N didn't like that feeling of being watched so intently while she ate. Once she had finished, he took the plate and fork back from her and left. Y/N looked at her wrists. They were still raw from the chains. 

Jack returned a moment later with a large glass of water. He offered it to her through the bars. Y/N drank it silently. She missed coffee. She missed the smell of that little diner. Brian's smiling face ran through her mind and her stomach tightened. If only she had heard him out. If only she had been willing to listen... Y/N couldn't imagine how much her words must have hurt him. Not only had she thrown away the closest she'd ever had to a friend, she'd also lost her only hope of survival. There was no way Brian was going to save her after last night. 

"Hurry up and finish. I want to get through at least one stage of testing today." Jack's cold voice made Y/N's heart sink even further. This was the rest of her life. Until the deranged doctor got tired of this game and murdered her, of course. Forcing herself to chug the rest of the water, she passed the glass back through the bars. Jack took it.

Once again, he left the room, only to return with a small box. He opened it to reveal a spider about the size of a quarter. The spider was sitting still, taking in its new environment. Y/N flinched away from the box. She wasn't fond of spiders. Jack pulled his chair up to the bars. 

"This breed of spider has a very mild venom that will only make you nauseous," Jack explained, carefully lifting the fuzzy brown critter out of the box. Y/N scooted away from the bars.   
"I really don't like spiders," she mumbled.  
"How unfortunate. But I still need my test results, and since you don't seem comfortable with harming vermin..." Jack grinned under his mask. Watching Y/N squirm brought him such joy. He held it up through the bars, moving it closer to her face. Y/N tried to scoot back further. However, Jack shot his other arm through the bars and grasped onto her shirt, holding her in place. The spider still hadn't moved much. She stared down at the tiny creature with wide eyes. Y/N realized she was holding her breath. Fine, she thought, you wanna see something scary? I'll show it to you. 

The spider finally seemed to notice Y/N hovering just inches away from it. Taking in Y/N's wide, angry eyes, it froze. Die, Y/N thought coldy. She repeated the word over and over in her head, but it only took a few seconds. The spider's legs curled in on itself and it skidded backwards. Jack released Y/N and rose from the floor.   
"Fascinating. So it even works on something like a spider? But probably nothing smaller, I suspect... It wouldn't be easy to get a flea to make eye contact with you." Jack laughed at his own joke. Y/N frowned at him.   
"I did the test. What happens now?"   
"How about a shower? Then we'll come back and we'll look at a few more questions."   
"Shower?" Y/N liked the thought of being clean. But she didn't have any clothes to change into. She hesitated, wondering if Jack would also be in the bathroom. The thought made her shiver. Her silence must have made Jack feel impatient, because he spoke again.   
"I realize my word choice was poor. I didn't mean we'd be showering together," he said. The way he said 'together' suggested that the very thought disgusted him.  
"I assumed as much," Y/N said.  
"I just want my motives to be clear. I have no interest in you for... that." Y/N's frown deepened at this.  
"This is making me uncomfortable, can we just... get on with it?" Jack nodded, grateful to end the conversation. 

The bathroom was small. It wasn't surprising, since it was meant to accomodate a child. There was no window, or any means of escape. And Jack was sitting right outside of the bathroom with a book in hand, waiting patiently for Y/N to finish. Taking a breath, she stripped down and stepped into the stream of hot water. She had to kneel under the shower head, since it was too low to reach her hair. An odd feeling, since Y/N wasn't exactly tall. As she sat on the floor of the shower, processing all that had happened, she began to cry.

Freshly scrubbed and dried, Y/N looked at the clothes Jack had presented her with. He said he'd taken the liberty of grabbing them from her house, but... He'd mistakenly grabbed Dr. Grace's clothes. They were a bit too long, but otherwise fit alright. A simple pair of jeans and a loose black t-shirt. He'd even grabbed a sweater, Grace's favorite yellow one. It still had the smell of the doctor's perfume clinging to it. The scent made Y/N feel even more hopeless. She pulled open the bathroom door, not meeting Jack's gaze. Not that she would have seen much beyond that same sinister blue mask. Those black holes seemed to bore into her no matter how hard she tried to ignore them. 

"Looks like you're all clean. Let's get back." Jack grabbed Y/N's wrist, pulling her in the direction of his lab. She followed without a hint of resistance. Great, Jack thought, if she keeps moping like this my research will be affected. He glanced back at her, gritting his teeth. What could he even say? But before he could speak, Y/N did.  
"These are my mother's clothes," she muttered, "just so you know."   
"I wasn't aware. I can retrieve other clothes if you-  
"No, this is fine. Thank you." Y/N looked up at the back of Jack's head. His brown hair was close-cut and neat. She realized that besides his name, she knew almost nothing about him. Of course, bonding with your kidnapper is never a good idea. But maybe she could get him to sympathize with her?

"Um," Y/N began, "you said if I answered your questions, I could ask you some?" Jack's grip on her wrist remained firm. He didn't even turn to look at her.   
"Yes. Did you have a question?"   
"I do. Well... Are you a real doctor?"   
"I was in my final year of medical school and circumstances caused me to drop out, so, no. I was never certified. However I am most definitely qualified."   
"What happened to make you drop out?" Y/N tilted her head curiously, supposing he'd murdered someone. It struck her that Brian had dropped out of college, too.   
"I was attacked. Let's leave it at that." Jack's tone was curt. It was clear that the subject was sensitive to him. Was that why he wore a mask? Had his face been injured? 

Back into the lab they went, and Y/N immediately moved towards the cage. But Jack stopped her, instructing her to instead sit in the chair by the desk.  
"I want to get a blood sample from you," he explained casually. Y/N didn't know what he'd would do with a blood sample, but nodded anyway. Seating herself on the chair, she set her sweater aside and dutifully stuck out her arm. Jack nodded, turning to a nearby set of drawers and picking through them for a tube, a needle, and some other things he'd need.   
"How old are you?" Y/N's question surprised Jack. He hadn't thought about that in a long time, himself. When had he stopped counting?   
"Does it matter?" Jack asked in a dismissive tone.   
"Maybe not. I was just curious. Since you said you were almost done with medical school when you dropped out."   
"I'm older than you for sure," Jack shrugged, "leave it at that."   
"I guess I shouldn't ask so much about you. But I don't know what else to talk about," Y/N said, more to herself.   
"Why don't we talk about you?" Jack picked up a clipboard and pen. He'd already inserted the needle and was watching as the little tube extending from her arm to the small set of test tubes on the desk filled.   
"What do you want to know?" Y/N looked at Jack. She was trying hard not to look at the blood flowing out of her. It made her feel nauseous.   
"Tell me about the first time your eyes were used," Jack said, almost eagerly. The request made Y/N's blood run cold. She hadn't thought about it in years. 

The sounds of an infant wailing carried up through the midnight air. Summer was almost over. You could sense it in the breeze. It wasn't a refreshing breeze anymore. It was cold and chilled you to the bones at night. Y/N sat up in bed, rubbing her tired eyes. Her little sister down the hall was crying for their mother. But their mother wasn't going to her, for some reason. At first, Y/N assumed she would be there an second. But the seconds ticked by and the crying prevailed. 

Sliding her tiny feet off of the bed, the child carefully opened her door and strained to hear any sounds of movement over the wails. Nothing. Crossing the hall, she pushed open the door to her baby sister's room. The infant was laying on her back, flailing her limbs angrily. Y/N carefully scooped the baby up and began to rock her. Just the way mama had shown her. After a few minutes of rocking and quietly cooing 'Hush Little Baby', the infant began to quiet. Setting the baby back into the crib, Y/N offered her a binky. The baby took it, but quickly spat it out and began to wail again. She must have been hungry. Y/N wished there was something she could do. Some way to make the baby quiet. 

"Stop crying," she whispered. But the baby continued. Y/N stared at the baby, frantically searching for some way to fix this. The baby's eyes caught Y/N's and she stopped crying. She went completely still, limbs falling at her sides. Then trickles of red began to come out of the baby's eyes. Y/N screamed, backing away. It was then she realized that her cheeks were wet and when she ran the sleeve of her Mulan pajamas over her face, it came back covered in blood. Y/N screamed again. Was she going to die? She had only just learned what dying was! The screaming summoned her father and mother, who were both horrified when they saw her face. And then the mother saw the baby in the crib and she screamed, too. The police came. They took the baby away and asked Y/N all sorts of questions. Y/N did her best to answer while sobbing her little heart out. 

By the time Y/N finished her account of her baby sister's tragic death, she was shaking. She had only been seven. Jack was quiet. While listening he'd already removed the tube and bandaged her arm. He had so many questions, but could tell that Y/N needed time to pull herself together. The silence between the two of them was stifling. Y/N turned away from Jack.   
"Do you have any other questions?" Y/N asked. Jack considered her for a moment. She was pushing on. He smiled.   
"I do."


	10. Don't Cry

((TW: Violence, mention of forced surgery, PTSD ))

"I do," Jack nodded, looking at his clipboard. Y/N could almost hear the smile in his voice. She took a breath, willing herself not to cry.   
"Alright."   
"How many people have you killed?"   
"Two," Y/N said. Her stomach twisted. She could hear her mother's cruel voice in the back of her head. You're a killer. You're a monster.   
"And how many people have been affected by your eyes and lived?"   
"Just one," Y/N said softly, clenching her fists. She didn't like these questions. She could hear the screams of that horrible little boy.   
"Okay," Jack scribbled something down, "and what happened to him?"  
"He went blind." Y/N swallowed hard, trying to dismiss the image of his glazed over eyes. 

"Fascinating. Would you- Buzz buzz! Bzz!   
"I guess that question time is over. I have a delivery to pick up. Back into the cage. And don't bother screaming for help, hmm?" Jack pointed at the cage and Y/N looked at the door to the labe before sighing and moving around the table. Jack nodded as he closed and locked the door.   
"Stay there," he joked. Then he turned and left the lab. Y/N sighed. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her pants and pulled out a paper clip and a bobby pin. She had found them earlier, but hadn't said anything. Even though she'd never picked a lock before, now might be her only chance. 

Standing at the door of the abandoned institute, Tim tapped his foot impatiently. Places like this always gave him the creeps. He wanted to be out of there soon. On the ground next to him, a box full of papers Jack had asked him to fetch. A lot of complicated medical mumbo-jumbo he didn't care to read. The door opened, and Jack stepped out. He was wearing his trademark mask, hands tucked into the pockets of his crisp white lab coat. Tim grit his teeth, picking up the box and offering it to Jack.   
"Everything you asked for should be here. How is she?"   
"It's not like you to ask questions," Jack said coolly, "but she's still alive. If we stay on schedule, she'll be alive for about a month."   
"A month," Tim nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "right. I'm done here. Bye."   
"Tim," Jack called after the other man. Tim slowed, looking back over his shoulder.   
"You're not worried, are you?" Jack's question shook Tim. He could hear the amusement in Jack's voice. 'Sick bastard,' Tim thought, clenching his fists in his pocket.   
"Of course not," Tim replied, just barely managing to keep the annoyance out of his voice. With that, he slid into his car and drove away. 

"You're not worried are you?" Brian caught a snippet of Tim and Jack's conversation as he slipped through a broken window. He still couldn't believe Tim had agreed to help him. Now he was sneaking into the building while Jack was distracted. Brian heard the front doors of the institute opening and closing again. Then the distinct click of the lock. Brian crouched beneath the desk below the window, doing his best to stay out of sight of the door. He strained his ears to hear Jack's boots treading across the tile floor. The boots passed by the room without hesitating. Brian felt relief wash over himself. He hadn't been caught yet. Now that he was sure Jack wasn't aware of him, Brian began to carefully creep out from under the desk. He stayed low to the floor, listening. All he could do was wait, and hope he wouldn't be too late. 

The door to the lab swung open, catching Y/N's attention. She looked up from the floor anxiously. Already Y/N was trying to guess what might be inside of the cardboard box Jack was carrying. He set it down on the operating table and opened the top, picking out a manilla folder. Y/N felt her heart sink as she caught sight of the label on the side of the box. That was the box from her house. The one in the closet, down in the basement. Those were her files. Files she regretted not burning sooner.   
"I knew there'd be a lot, but this is more than I expected," Jack noted as he began to swiftly flick through the folders. Y/N sat, staring at the box like a deer caught in headlights. She didn't know what to say.   
"Oh relax," Jack shook his head after casting a glance at her, "it's not like I'm going to spread this all over the world."   
"Most of it is experiment notes," Y/N sighed, looking pointedly away. Jack nodded, flipping through the files with interest. He read for a while before pausing and casting a glance at Y/N. She remained staring at the floor, lost in thought. Jack glanced back at the paper. What was this feeling that twisted in his stomach? He knew it, but had never felt it like this. Disgust. As his empty sockets bore into the papers, rereading the lines over and over he was reminded of his deep loathing for humanity.   
"Why did they do this to you?" Jack looked at Y/N. He barely bit back the anger in his voice. Y/N frowned.  
"I'm not sure what you're talking about. They did a lot to me."   
"The hysterectomy. Why did they do that? It had nothing to do with your eyes." Y/N gently touched her stomach.   
"It was very early in my stay at the institute. One of the doctors was very religious. He was convinced I was going to give birth to an antichrist. My mo- my primary doctor called in sick and he seized the opportunity. They swept the whole thing under the rug to avoid a scandal... It was a long time ago."   
"How can you be calm about that? Aren't you angry? That man stole your chance of raising a family. He stole from your body!" Y/N could sense that this was about more than herself... She hesitantly scooted closer. 

"I was young. I couldn't do anything." Jack threw the file onto the floor. He began to pace. In his mind he could see himself, sitting on the floor of a cave. He could see the cultists in their hideous blue masks. He could see the steam rising from the stone cup. Could feel the steel scraping the back of his eye socket.  
"Jack? Are you okay?" Y/N managed to catch Jack's pant-leg as he was pacing by her cage. He stopped and looked down at her. Her wide eyes stated up into him. They burned into his brain.   
"Yes," Jack said sharply, pulling away. He turned and walked out of the room, locking it behind him.

Y/N tried to guess how much time had passed since Jack left. The room didn't have a clock that she could see, so she had no clue what time it was. Was it still day? Was it night? She felt hungry. Tired. With nothing else to do, she decided to get some sleep. Y/N curled into a ball in the far corner of the cage and let her eyes flutter closed. 

Nightfall. Brian had been waiting for it for ages. Now that it was here, he breathed a sigh of relief. Jack had left the abandoned institute some time earlier. He had been angry. But Brian didn't want to risk moving then. He was worried Jack would come back. Now, though, Brian knew if he didn't move he'd lose his chance. Quietly he crept through the institute. He tried every door handle. Each time he peered into a dusty room, he wondered if Y/N would be inside of it. Was she still alive? Was she okay? He had no way to know. 

The operating wing caught his eye. He wandered in and began checking rooms. Still, he moved slow. His steps were deliberate. He didn't want to get caught. Brian continued to strain his ears for the slightest sounds. Finally, he heard something. Crying. Heart pounding, he chased the sound through the long halls toward a particular door. Brian latched onto the handle like it would somehow keep him alive. The knob jiggled. He could hear Y/N just on the other side of the door. She was crying. She could be hurt. Frantically, Brian took out his pocket knife and began to fidget with the lock on the door. Every few seconds he had to pause to make sure Jack wasn't back yet. Finally, the lock gave and the door slid open. He was met with a pristine operating room. Set into the back wall was a cage. Maybe for a large dog or a small child. Y/N was huddled in the far corner. She was asleep.

"Y/N," Brian whispered. She didn't stir. Brian called her name again, a bit louder. He was afraid breaking the silence would somehow summon Jack to the room.   
"Hmm?" Y/N stirred, rubbing her tired eyes. Brian smiled at her.   
"I'm here. Are you hurt?" Y/N sat up straighter, eyes wide.   
"Brian?" Her eyes looked at him, and then over his shoulder. Brian quickly whipped his head around in time for a glass object to smash into his face. Jack sighed, shaking his head. 

"You just couldn't mind your own business?"


	11. Don't Chase

((TW: Extreme violence, mild gore ))

"You couldn't just mind your own business?" Brian crashed to the floor, holding his now wounded face. He hissed, looking up at Jack.   
"So you were waiting to get the jump on me, huh?"   
"Nope, I just got back in time to catch you." Jack lifted a small icebox and set it onto the operating table to emphasize his point. He looked past Brian at Y/N. Y/N scooted back in the small cage, looking away from him. 

Suddenly, Brian flew up from the floor. He was aiming to punch Jack in the face. Unfortunately, the long cut on his forehead bled down into his eyes. His vision blurred. Jack kicked Brian in the stomach, sending him back to the floor. Brian cursed. His loss of vision put him at a huge disadvantage. Jack began to kick Brian again and again. And again. And Again. And- 

"Stop!" Y/N slammed her hands against the cage door.The disruption caught Jack's attention. He lowered his leg, tilting his head at her.   
"You want me to stop?"  
"Yes! Please..." Y/N looked at Brian. She felt her chest ache. Of course she'd been mad at him before, but she never wanted him to get hurt. Jack clenched his fists. He thought for a moment about how to get rid of Brian. The mad doctor considered dragging Brian to another room and slowly cutting him apart. But then he had another idea. An evil idea. A cruel smile curled his lips beneath his mask. Jack snatched Brian up by the collar of his shirt and pushed him towards Y/N. 

"I'll let him live. If you look him in the eye," Jack said, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. Y/N tensed.   
"But if I do that he'll-   
"Just do it," Brian hissed, pulling himself up to sitting position. He was bruised and bloody. A few of Jack's kicks had managed to hit his face- one had clearly broken his nose. Already Brian's nose was swelling and turning purple. Y/N looked at him anxiously. She didn't want to. But she knew she couldn't do anything else. Taking a deep breath, she settled down and looked at Brian. Her eyes slowly traveled up to his. Her heart stopped. Blood trickled down his face, pooling into his eyes. Tears rose to the surface, washing Brian's blood down further. Y/N half hoped the blood would be enough of a lens to stop her eyes from having an effect. 

At first, nothing seemed to be happening. Then, blood began to slowly trickle out of Y/N's eyes the longer she stared. Brian held still, looking at her. His face twitched. He had to be hurting, Y/N knew. But he played it off. Jack lost his patience, scoffing and kicking Brian's head to shove him out of the way. Y/N shut her eyes, rubbing at them woefully. Springing to his feet, Brian tackled Jack to the ground. The two began to struggle. Y/N reached into her pocket and took out the bobby pin and paper clip. As the two men struggled against each other, she worked away at the lock. Every few moments she would turn to see if Jack had noticed.

Finally, the lock clicked and dropped to the ground. The sound echoed, causing the two to snap their attention to her. Y/N pushed the door open and sprinted out into the hall. She didn't look back. She knew if she did her escape attempt would fail. Jack screamed after her, trying to free himself from Brian's grip. Brian laughed in Jack's face as the two wrestled on the floor. Y/N didn't hesitate. She still knew all the twists and turns of the institute. She made a right, then a left. Working her way through the labyrinthine hospital towards the exit. 

When her eyes spotted the exit door, a second wave of adrenaline rolled over her. Without missing a beat she broke into an even faster sprint. Her hands connected with the doors and they held firm.   
"No," she cried, slamming into the doors again. They were locked. She considered trying to break the glass for a moment, but suspected she wouldn't succeed. Whipping her head around, she decided to try one of the windows instead.

"Get back here!!" Jack's shouting caused Y/N's whole body to tense. He was running after her. Was Brian dead? Was she going to die? Panic swept through her in an instant. In a desperate attempt to preserve herself, she dove into the nearest room and yanked the door shut. Fortune finally smiled on her; the door had a lock. Flipping the lock, Y/N began to search anxiously for some kind of exit. The room had a window. She ran to it and began pushing with all her might. The thing hadn't been opened in years. Rust had built up on the frame. Still, Y/N strained against the glass, hoping it would eventually give. Sighing, she looked around the room for anything that could be used to smash the glass out. Her eyes caught sight of a black backpack resting underneath of a dust-covered desk. Brian must have been here at some point. 

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Jack's footsteps came up the hallway, passing so close to her that Y/N thought she might cry out. Pressing herself up against a wall, she prayed Jack wouldn't check this room. Unfortunately, on his second lap, he stopped to jiggle the handle. As soon as he realized it was locked her began to pound on the door.   
"Y/N!!! Y/N YOU SORRY LITTLE- GET OUT HERE!!" His voice was filled with rage. Hands shaking, Y/N unzipped the backpack and began to search for something she could use to escape. Jack began ramming his shoulder into the door to try and break it down. The old wood bowed under his weight, but didn't give on the first few tries. So he stepped back and tried kicking it. All the while he screamed at Y/N, telling her he'd catch her again. He'd find her wherever she went. He'd kill her. He'd get those eyes. 

Y/N's hands traced a cool metal item. She grasped it firmly and yanked it free. A handgun. Y/N didn't have the slightest clue how to use on but didn't have time to learn. The wood of the door was starting to crack and strain. She turned the gun over and slammed it into the glass of the window. It shattered. Fresh air burst into the room. Taking a deep breath, Y/N hoisted herself up onto the ledge. At the same time, the door to the room finally gave. Smashing into splinters as Jack burst into the room.   
"Don't leave!" He reached out for her. Y/N looked at him with wide eyes. She felt suddenly frozen. Right before Jack could snatch her down, she fell out of the window. Two strong arms wrapped around her.   
"Caught ya! Come on!" Tim sighed as he hefted Y/N into his arms properly and began to sprint. She looked up at him with wide eyes. 

"Tim? But how did you-   
"Brian set this up. Consider us even." Tim said coolly. Y/N nodded. She still had the handgun clutched in her hands.   
"Thank you," she mumbled. Tim nodded. Jack's shouting followed them, but he never left the hospital. Once Y/N was safely strapped into the passenger seat of Tim's car, she let go of the gun. Tears poured down her face. 

"Whoa, take it easy. You made it out," Tim said gently, patting her back. Sniffling, Y/N shook her head.   
"Bu-But Brian-  
"Worry about yourself first. You need to pull yourself together if we're gonna rescue him."   
"You don't think Jack will kill him, do you?" Y/N's eyes pleaded for Tim to lie. It was so clear to Tim that she wanted him to say Brian would be okay. Tim sighed, lighting a cigarette.   
"I... don't know. Knowing Jack, he might try to use Brian as bait to lure us both back here." 

"How awful," Y/N sighed, twisting the fabric of her blouse in her hands.   
"Don't worry. We're gonna get him back. Just try to catch your breath for now." 

BAM! Jack's bloody hands slammed onto the window. Y/N jumped, screaming at the top of her lungs. Tim shouted, fumbling for his keys. Jack snatched at the door handle and managed to yank the door open. Y/N recoiled in horror, realizing they hadn't been locked. The masked man began trying to pry her out of the car. She kicked at him with all her might. 

One kick caused his blue mask to fly off his face. In the dying light of evening, Y/N saw her kidnapper's face for the very first time. She screamed again, unable to bear the horrific image of him. His skin was sickly and grey. His teeth sharp and animalistic- stained from years of eating raw meat. The worst part were his eyes. Or rather, the fact that he had no eyes! Y/N kicked with even more panic now. Her wide eyes unable to pull away from Jack's empty sockets. Black fluid flowed freely from them, pouring over the legs of her pants. 

Y/N's heart nearly stopped when she heard the subtle click as her seatbelt came undone.   
"No! No! Let me go!" But as she struggled to get Jack off of her, he was pulling her further and further from the car. Tim abandoned the driver's seat and ran around the side of the car, preparing for a messy battle. Suddenly, something struck the back of Jack's head, causing him to release Y/N. She scrambled to her feet and into Tim's arms, heart pounding. Brian, bloody and limping stood behind Jack. He had a hammer gripped tightly in his right hand. Brian's breath came in slow gasps. His left arm was wrapped around his waist, a futile attempt to stem the bleeding from a large slice to his chest. 

"Brian!" Y/N looked at him with tear-filled eyes. He managed a smile.  
"Sorry to keep you waiting," he sighed. Jack twitched. He sprang back up, but before he could get very far, the hammer came crashing down on his head again. And then again. And again. Tim covered Y/N's eyes with one hand, turning away from the carnage himself. Y/N shut her eyes, her own hands clamping over her ears. She knew what was happening. And even though she knew Jack was a monster, she still couldn't bear to watch it. Or hear it, for that matter. It took a lot longer than she thought. But finally, she felt Tim's hand fall from her face. 

"Turn towards me, Y/N. You... don't want to see that." Y/N nodded, turning towards the sound of Tim's voice before she opened her eyes. He patted her head.   
"Is it over?" She hadn't realized it until then, but she'd been holding her breath. Brian patted her shoulder with his free hand.   
"It's over! Let's go." He grinned at her. 

The hospital staff asked Y/N over and over if they should call the police. Y/N insisted that Brian had been attacked by a wild animal, and that police involvement wasn't necessary. Tim stayed in the car, half mentioning that hospitals made him uncomfortable. 

Seventeen stitches and dozens of bandages later, Brian and Y/N sat in his hospital room, taking a moment to breathe.   
"If their X-rays come back normal, they'll release me tonight," Brian said with a sigh.   
"I'm glad that the damage wasn't as serious as it looked," Y/N nodded, looking out of the window at the gloomy night sky.   
"Yeah. I guess I'm not as tough as I was back in the day," Brian shrugged, "I've taken worse beatings."   
"Really? Terrifying... There's so much I don't know about you," Y/N said, looking at Brian.  
"Oh? Does that make me mysterious? Like a mysterious love interest?" Brian chuckled. Y/N laughed, shaking her head. 

"...Maybe," she said after a moment. She turned back to look up at the waning moon in the sky.   
"Maybe?" Brian's tone was still amused. Y/N looked back at him and smiled.   
"I owe you a lot for today. And for before, too. You've done so much for me. So, yeah. It's a maybe."   
"So you'll maybe go to dinner with me?" Brian's face, to Y/N's shock, turned a little red at the question. She'd never seen him look at her that way. Was he nervous? Wait. Was he asking her out?!

"Your timing is terrible," Y/N remarked, mostly out of shock. Brian couldn't help but laugh.  
"That's a pretty harsh rejection," he managed between chuckles.   
"It wasn't a rejection," Y/N smiled, "I'll go." Brian grinned.   
"...maybe," Y/N added, laughing. Brian groaned.   
"Don't leave me hanging like that!!"


	12. A/N

Thank you all so much for reading Those Lovely Eyes!! I had so much fun rewriting this very ancient work of mine. I hope you enjoyed it!! This is, unfortunately, the end. But I plan to do more works in the future, so look forward to them!!


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